Volume 16, Issue 4

Special Edition: Self-Help Housing Program Success Stories

RCAC called for videos, pictures and stories from your homeownership celebration events, key ceremonies and success stories, and self-help grantees delivered! In this special edition, we feature 11 grantees and families from across our service area.

Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP)

Pictures are worth a thousand words – a photo montage

Habitat for Humanity of Seattle King County

Habitat for Humanity of Seattle King County gives a hand up with first building group

Marian Hom and Tim Martin, interviewed July 25, 2023, via Zoom from their home in North Bend by Mary Martin

Tim was born and raised in Washington, graduating from Renton High School and Washington State University. After college he took a trucking job, which he ended up doing for 20 years as a commercial truck driver. Marian was raised in New York State, moved to Los Angeles and then to Seattle. She is a fitness instructor and teaches classes at gyms in Seattle and Kirkland. When they met in 2016, Tim had recovered from his treatment for a cancer diagnosis of a non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2010….

Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation

Through Blood, Sweat, Tears, Missile Threats & Lava Flows – a homeowner’s journey

By J. King, homeowner

I was offered the brochure and application at my job interview, which gave me more information on what Self-Help housing really was. I had heard about it but didn’t know too much about it. I was hired by the company in January 2010, and turned in my application for the wait list on that day. At the time, I had really bad credit and knew if I ever wanted this to happen, I needed to take care of my credit issues….

Housing America Corporation (HAC)

Celebrating Homeownership Month and 2,000 Self-Help homes this year!

By Thomas Ryan, HAC executive director

I often read statistical reports and research studies on the positive outcomes of homeownership for low-income families. Most detail the measurable and significant benefits of homeownership, such as a household’s increase in net assets and the academic achievements by children of homeowners. These outcomes are published by nonprofit housing providers like us across the country. Here at home, I am privileged to have witnessed these outcomes (and many more) for almost a decade at Housing America….

Festeja HAC con más familias beneficiadas el Mes de la Vivienda Propia

Por Cesar Neyoy, Bajo El Sol

Somerton – El Mes de la Vivienda Propia está siendo festejado por Housing America Corporation (HAC) con buenas noticias y más familias beneficiadas y por beneficiarse con una casa propia.

Kaua’i Habitat for Humanity

125 affordable homes, 16 years in the making

By Scott Yunker, journalist

The Del Contes first applied for housing with Kauaʻi Habitat for Humanity in 2017. After waiting two years to be accepted — and with themselves, family and friends logging nearly 1,700 hours of sweat equity — the family of four got the keys to their new in ‘Ele‘ele. “I’m feeling excited and joyful, because we finally have our own home that we always wanted,” said Hope Del Conte, who has two young girls with her husband Joshua….

Neighborworks Sacramento

Celebrating life-changing achievements

Arbuckle, California – The homes built by our second group of Self-Help families in Arbuckle (Arbuckle II) reached completion this month. Arbuckle II has been hard at work this past year building their homes, and now they can finally move in. We were proud to help create more happy homeowners! To celebrate this life-changing achievement, we hosted a block party and ribbon-cutting ceremony for Arbuckle II families, as well as their neighbors, who also happen to be part of Arbuckle I, the first group of our self-help families in Arbuckle….

Self-Help Enterprises

Welcome Home Celebration in Orosi!

On June 8th, Self-Help Enterprises proudly celebrated alongside nine participating families from their Mutual Self-Help Housing (MSHH) program who have completed building their own homes in Orosi. They welcomed the families and hosted a key ceremony in celebration of Homeownership Month and NeighborWorks Week. Twenty-eight more families are also currently building their homes in the Orosi community located at 12517 Ave 413 Orosi, CA 93647. Guests also had the opportunity to tour one of the newly built self-help homes….

Self-Help Homes

A Little Story About My Family & I – a homeowner’s long journey

By Francis M. Badibanga, homeowner

This is a little story about my family and me.  My name is Francis. I am married to my lovely wife, Nicole, and together we have four kids, one boy and three girls. We are originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); we moved to the U.S. in 2017. And today I am so grateful to God and happy because my dreams are coming true to be a homeowner through this program….

Six County Association of Governments

In Their Own Words – a homeowner story

By E. Sanches, homeowner

If you’re thinking about applying for this program but aren’t really sure you’ll be able to qualify, apply anyway! You might just end up being approved to build your own house like Dave and I have! I was scrolling on Facebook one day and saw a post that caught my eye. It was from Six County Self Help, and it mentioned building your own house with no down-payment, no experience, low monthly payments, and lowered interest rates….

South Central Community Action Partnership

Celebrating 100 homes! A homeowner’s experience

By Jessica M., homeowner

I stand before you today as a proud former home Builder of Filer group 11! I’m a single mother who had the incredible opportunity to build her own home through the wonderful program offered by South Central Community Action Program. It is an honor to share my journey with you and how this program has not only set a great example for my children but also changed our lives for the better….

Whatcom-Skagit Housing

Nine families move in, more than 700 completed

By Taras McCurdie, Lynden Tribune staff reporter